Vertex drug improves lung function in study

Cambridge biotechnology company Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. said today that its oral drug candidate VX-770 improved lung function in cystic fibrosis patients during a midstage study.

The Phase IIa clinical trial compared the drug candidate with placebo, which had no observed effect. The interim results come from 20 patients receiving various doses of VX-770 or placebo.

The company is moving on with the second part of the study and plans to meet with regulators to discuss the most rapid development path for the drug candidate.

Cystic Fibrosis affects about 30,000 people in the U.S. and around 70,000 people worldwide, the company said. (AP)